“Damage” – All Blacks star Jordie Barrett stood down after worrying scan

The 29-year-old was a late withdrawal from the match against the Wallabies.

Timoci Tavatavanawai stepped in to replace him, but Barrett had expected to play.

In fact, he thought the injury was little more than a knock.

That changed when he asked for a scan.

Barrett picked up the problem during the All Blacks' win at Eden Park.

He played most of the match and thought he had suffered a haematoma.

However, he decided to get the injury checked before facing Australia again.

Speaking on the KOKO show, Barrett said:

“I thought I got a haematoma in the first five or 10 minutes in Auckland and treated it as that all week but asked doc for a scan for peace of mind on Friday and it’s just as well I didn’t go on, there’s a bit of damage there.”

It proved a wise call.

Rather than risk making things worse, Barrett was forced to watch from the sidelines.

Barrett now faces a race to be fit for New Zealand's November tour.

The centre hopes to return in time for the Nations Championship.

“I will try to come right for the northern tour,” he said.

There was at least one positive from his absence.

“It was nice, the silver lining is that other guys get an opportunity and it’s good to see Timoci out there having a crack.”

The injury adds another concern for New Zealand ahead of a huge few weeks.

Barrett is not the only player facing a battle for fitness. Fellow All Blacks star Ruben Love has also been dealing with injury problems.

With the 2027 Rugby World Cup now firmly on the horizon, keeping key players fit will be vital.

For now, Barrett's return date remains unclear.

The All Blacks will hope their star centre is back sooner rather than later.

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